CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Florida. US Navy's second Mobile User Objective System (MOUS) satellite built by Lockheed Martin ...
CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, Florida.
US Navy's second Mobile User Objective System (MOUS) satellite built by Lockheed Martin was launched on friday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
MUOS-2 was launched at 9:00 a.m. EDT aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The satellite will transition over the next nine days to reach its geosynchronous orbit location 22,000 miles above the earth.
The solar arrays and antennas will then be deployed, and on-orbit testing will start for subsequent turn-over to the Navy for testand commissioning to service.
The successful launch represents a key step in providing enhanced satellite communications for the US Navy and US Department of Defense (DoD).
MUOS is a next-generation narrow band tactical satellite communications system designed to significantly improve beyond-line-of-sight communications for U.S. forces on the move. MUOS will provide military users 10 times more communications capacity over the existing system by leveraging 3G mobile technology, including simultaneous voice and data capability.
The first MUOS satellite, launched in 2012, has been providing high quality legacy voice communications for users, and terminals are already testing using the advanced payload that enables data exchanges. More than 20,000 existing terminals are compatible with and can access the MUOS legacy payload, and with the release of the new waveform developed for increased data-handling capacity, many of these terminals can be retro-fitted to access the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) payload.
This advanced WCDMA payload incorporates commercial technology designed to provide 16 times the number of accesses above requirements for the legacy UHF Follow-On system. The satellites also include a hosted legacy UHF payload that will be fully compatible with the current ultra-high frequency system and legacy terminals.
The geosynchronous constellation consists of four satellites and one on-orbit spare, which are expected to achieve full operational capability in 2015, extending UHF narrow band communications availability well past 2025.
Source: Lockheed Martin/US Navy
US Navy's second Mobile User Objective System (MOUS) satellite built by Lockheed Martin was launched on friday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.
MUOS-2 was launched at 9:00 a.m. EDT aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The satellite will transition over the next nine days to reach its geosynchronous orbit location 22,000 miles above the earth.
The solar arrays and antennas will then be deployed, and on-orbit testing will start for subsequent turn-over to the Navy for testand commissioning to service.
The successful launch represents a key step in providing enhanced satellite communications for the US Navy and US Department of Defense (DoD).
MUOS is a next-generation narrow band tactical satellite communications system designed to significantly improve beyond-line-of-sight communications for U.S. forces on the move. MUOS will provide military users 10 times more communications capacity over the existing system by leveraging 3G mobile technology, including simultaneous voice and data capability.
The first MUOS satellite, launched in 2012, has been providing high quality legacy voice communications for users, and terminals are already testing using the advanced payload that enables data exchanges. More than 20,000 existing terminals are compatible with and can access the MUOS legacy payload, and with the release of the new waveform developed for increased data-handling capacity, many of these terminals can be retro-fitted to access the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) payload.
This advanced WCDMA payload incorporates commercial technology designed to provide 16 times the number of accesses above requirements for the legacy UHF Follow-On system. The satellites also include a hosted legacy UHF payload that will be fully compatible with the current ultra-high frequency system and legacy terminals.
The geosynchronous constellation consists of four satellites and one on-orbit spare, which are expected to achieve full operational capability in 2015, extending UHF narrow band communications availability well past 2025.
Source: Lockheed Martin/US Navy
